ISAF commission to investigate assassination of Afghan Vice-President

A commission of the International Security Assistance Force /ISAF/ in Afghanistan has joined the investigation into the assassination of Afghan Vice-President Haji Abdul Qadeer. According to the ISAF Thursday press release, the command of the international force has taken a decision to render assistance to experts investigating Qadeer's assassination. Qadeer was the Afghan Vice-President, Minister for Public Works and the governor of the Nangarhar province.

ISAF has pledged to carry out "an objective investigation in compliance with generally-recognised legal norms of the international law." In the statement, ISAF officials stress that "the Afghan government should bear all legal responsibility." Karim Halili, the head of the Afghan State Commission to investigate the assassination of Haji Qadeer, stated that he did not exclude "the involvement of Al-Qaeda, Taliban or Hekmatiar's fighters in the assassination." He also said that the commission considered all possible versions, "including an act of revenge for Haji Qadeer's efforts to suppress drug traffic." The Nangarhar province where Qadeer governed, is one of the main producers of raw opium, which is subsequently smuggled to Tajikistan and partly to Pakistan. According to the State Anti-Drug Commission, this year, Haji Qadeer ordered to destroy not less than 30 percent of all poppy crops.

Qadeer was killed this Saturday, July 6th, in the centre of Kabul near the Ministry for Public Works, which he headed. Gunmen made a riddle of his car.